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Nuzzling her hair. “Nothing.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” she whispered roughly.
“I’m sure it’s not,” he agreed, with another brush of her soft hair against his jaw.
A determined glint shone in her eyes. One that made him want to lower his head and kiss her. “Stop, Jared. I don’t want you touching me that way. Not when you don’t mean it.”
He closed his eyes, willing his fingers to relax from where he tightly gripped the fabric of her dress.
“What do you mean?” he breathed close to her ear, knowing she was baiting him.
“I want someone who isn’t ashamed of me.”
Is that what she thought? That he was ashamed of her? Didn’t she understand all the reasons he had to stay away from her? For both of their sakes?
“I’m not ashamed of you.”
“Yes, you are.”
“You’re a beautiful woman, Chelsea. Inside and out. Your back doesn’t bother me.” He grazed his fingers over where her scars ran, wishing he could soothe the deeply entrenched scars in her psyche.
“After years of being ashamed myself, I find humor in the fact I believe my back really doesn’t bother you.” She snorted. “All this is because of her, isn’t it?”
“Laura? She has nothing to do with anything.”
“She has everything to do with why you won’t take a chance on me,” she scoffed. “You can’t let go of her. Even though she’s been dead for almost ten years, you refuse to move on with your life.”
“Chelsea.” He breathed her name against her hair. “I have moved on with my life.”
He had. He’d finished medical school, had a great career, great friends, a life he enjoyed. That was moving on, wasn’t it?
“Yet my guess is that you’ve not been close to a woman since Laura.”
“There’ve been women in my life.”
“I’m not talking about sex, Jared. I’m talking about a real relationship. One where you let yourself actually care about another person.”
“I care…” He paused, unsure what he had been going to say. That he cared about her? He did, whether he wanted to or not.
Her gaze narrowed, and she shook her head. “Why did you pull me onto the dance floor?” she asked, no longer moving to the music. She faced him with anger in her eyes. “I want more than a few stolen kisses when you’re having a weak moment. I want a real relationship with someone who is willing to trust me with his heart, who is worthy of me trusting him with my heart.”
“Chelsea—” he began, but she stopped him.
“Don’t ‘Chelsea’ me. If you’re not man enough to admit you care for me and to act on those feelings, do me a favor and stay away.”
With that she turned and walked away, her back eloquently straight.
Frozen in place, Jared could only watch her go. He couldn’t go after her, because she was right. He should stay away from her.
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHELSEA tried to keep a smile pasted on her face as she stared across the dance floor at where Jared stood with a couple of his and Will’s old college buddies.
How could she fight a ghost? The reality was she couldn’t. Jared had loved Laura, had been going to marry her. He’d loved her enough to want to spend the rest of his life with her, to give her his name.
Jealousy scorched Chelsea’s stomach. Totally unreasonable as the woman in question had died a tragic death, apparently taking Jared’s heart with her.
Did he think he’d betray his true love’s memory if he opened his heart to her? That she wouldn’t be able to take it if he wasn’t able to love her in return? Or was he honoring Will’s request to stay away from her?
